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Call it a powerhouse: 27 years in & the PCCC is still a force

PCCC-headerbug

What’s the best way to describe the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper?

Call it an absolute powerhouse.

Over the years, the tournament has gifted funds that have enabled, let’s see … Ronald McDonald House of the Ozarks to house families while their infants are hospitalized nearby; Dogwood Ranch out of Rogersville to assist troubled teens through equine therapy; and the Shriner’s Hospital Dads to purchase a new van in order to transport children and their families to Shriner’s Hospitals in St. Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati.

And that’s just to name a few ways.

This from a tournament that, over the prior 26 years, has generated nearly $13 million for local children’s charities thanks to so many efforts.

Those efforts being the backing of the John Q. Hammons Foundation, the PGA’s Web.com Tour, tremendous business support such as a nearly 20-year title sponsorship from Price Cutter Supermarkets along with individual donations and a 1,000-person army of volunteers.

Put another way, there is no other sporting event in the Ozarks that comes close to matching the PCCC’s efforts.

“The Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper clearly is a passion of this community and has been for 27 years now. Over the years, we’ve heard stories that tug at your heart strings, as money from the PCCC has greatly supported the missions of local charities,” Tournament Executive Director Jerald Andrews said. “We ask the community to join us in this year’s effort.”

 

This year’s tournament is Thursday through Sunday (Aug. 11-14) at Highland Springs Country Club.

Jerald Andrews has been the tournament's executive director since 1997.
Jerald Andrews has been the tournament’s executive director since 1997.

The PCCC will benefit 43 charities this year. As for the golf, the tournament will help the Web.com Tour determine 50 qualifying spots into next season’s PGA Tour. The PCCC’s overall purse is set at $675,000 and the winner to take home $121,500.

For tickets to the PCCC, go to this link. Among the options is the $25 TLC Properties Sweepstakes ticket, which could win you a 2016 Ford F-150 or $10,000.
For tickets to the PCCC, go to this link. Among the options is the $25 TLC Properties Sweepstakes ticket, which could win you a 2016 Ford F-150 or $10,000. Free admission to all former and current military, law enforcement and first responders and their families.

The overall effort certainly has caught the attention of PGA Tour officials. The PCCC is one of the last four remaining tournaments from the inaugural Ben Hogan Tour in 1990. Since then, the tournament has grown from one charity and then to four charities in its first five years to now more than 40 annually.

“Since day one, the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper has been one of the Web.com Tour’s strongest events, with broad community support, strong leadership and an outstanding host organization,” said Bill Calfee, President of the Web.com Tour. “Price Cutter has put forth a commitment to this tournament that allows for continued growth year in and year out.”

This year marks the 19th year in which Price Cutter Supermarkets has been a title sponsor. In fact, one of its top executives remembers the first year.

“We were approached and wanted to step up. We obviously wanted to continue the cause. We’ve just seen all of the good that has come of it,” said Rob Marsh, Vice President of Operations for Price Cutter Supermarkets. “We like that all the money stays with local children’s charities.”

Dawie vander Walt shows his winners trophy after the final round of the Price Cutter Charity Championship at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield on August 16, 2015.
This week’s schedule:
  • THURSDAY-SUNDAY: The 27th PCCC
  • THURSDAY-SATURDAY: Bass Pro Shops Fishing Contest after play
  • SUNDAY: Sunrise Service on the 18th green
  • SUNDAY: Go Blue for Autism presented by The Arc of the Ozarks. Wear blue to support efforts to raise awareness
  • SUNDAY: Grand prize drawing for the Ford F-150 & $10,000 on the 18th green, after play ends
  • SUNDAY: Volunteer Party presented by Moe’s Southwest Grill in the Jackson Brothers of the South VIP Ozarks Club food tent

Feel-good stories

Feel-good stories abound throughout all the charities, who say the PCCC positively reaches so many young people’s lives.

Ambassadors for Children-collage

Take Ambassadors for Children, for example. Based in Springfield, it offers new clothes and many other amenities for foster kids. One day, a 12-year-old boy made it a point to pick out clothes for his two younger siblings before even thinking of himself.

“Once everything was put into shopping bags, he asked how much it would cost. I responded, ‘It’s free and it’s yours to keep!” said Denee Fay, director of the Ambassadors for Children, which is dedicated to supporting kids affected by neglect and abuse. “His face lit up with the biggest smile. He wanted to carry all the shopping bags to the car on his own, continuing to prove himself as the most responsible big brother.”

Dogwood Ranch-collage

Or consider Tabby, a graduate of the Dogwood Ranch, which specializes in equine therapy. In middle school, she bounced from one foster home to another and, naturally, didn’t trust anyone. Now she is pursuing a nursing degree. Dogwood Ranch uses PCCC donations toward purchase of vehicles or vehicle maintenance for its teens.

“It’s amazing how being around such a huge animal that it kind of makes you remember what trust is like,” Tabby said. “A lot of times when kids are in foster care, they go through so many parents that your sense of trust is extinguished. I never thought something that like would help me.”

Hope Foundation-collage

Meanwhile, the PCCC has greatly assisted families of the H.O.P.E. Foundation, which provides financial and emotional support to families whose children are battling pediatric emergencies. Desiree Byars, whose son was born at 28 weeks and has battled pneumonia and West Syndrome since, was able to avoid being evicted after medical bills piled up.

“This was the first time in our lives that we’ve faced eviction, and it scared us,” Desiree said. “Just when we were ready to give up hope and started trying to figure out where we would move to, the H.O.P.E. Foundation came through for us and paid our rent, allowing us to stay in our home.”

She then added, “Since then, our family has been able to get back on our feet, financially, but we will forever be grateful to the H.O.P.E. Foundation for their generosity during a bleak time. Thank-you hardly seems like enough to convey our gratitude!”

For anyone, seeing how PCCC dollars come to the rescue is a moving – and rewarding – experience.

“To me, an overwhelming example was the Fordland Clinic asked for $400 to buy booster seats for their dental clinic and the Shriner’s Hospital Dads asked for $40,000 to transport ill children and families to Shriner’s Hospitals,” Andrews said. “We were able to do both, and both were thrilled because their needs were met. To me, that spoke volumes in terms of meeting actual needs.”

Meeting needs and making a difference – that is the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper.